The Mexican Beach Hammock!!

Thanks to my mama June, we have a new swing (our souvenir from her recent trip to Puerto Vallarta) in our front yard, which happened to fit just perfectly on the "swing holder" that Will built! Hooray & thanks Mama!

BTW--my mama was so brave on this trip, totally stepped out of her comfort box, all the way from the flying, to the traveling to a foreign land, to the snorkeling and deep sea fishing! I'm so proud of my mama! It's finally her time to travel, after 32 years of teaching!

Here's a few pics of the new toy and the ever-growing front yard!!

But God gives the increase...

So, we are (Will is) in the process of attempting to grow a lawn, key word, attempting. It's been over a week now and the wee little seeds that Will planted, and has been diligently watering, are not seeming to produce any increase yet. This has been a wee bit discouraging for my hard-working, yard-man. So, as I was out sitting on the front deck pondering this and feeling for him, a little still-small voice in my spirit spoke to me and He said "Isn't that just how it is when I'm planting seeds and watering in your life, or in other's lives, through you? You help Me plant and you help Me water, but you must have patience to see the fruit born, as I am the One who gives the increase."
We can't take the seeds back, they're already taking root in the ground (even if we can't "see" the work being done, another lesson in walking by faith, not by sight); we shouldn't stomp on them to punish them for not growing fast enough (really to our own personal speedy growth standards); we won't ignore them (because every time we walk by them, we stoop down to see if there's even a shred of growth happening.) All we can do is sit and wait, and "not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not lose heart." And we're just sure our socks will totally be blessed off when we finally get to see the green peeking out of the brown.
So if you ever start to get a wee bit impatient and just about ready to give up, just keep waiting on Him and trusting in Him, as He's the One to give the increase, in whatever endeavor He has you partnering (planting and watering) with Him in. His increase, but mostly just Jesus, are more than worth the wait!

1 Corinthians 3:7-9...
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.

So if you don't mind, join us in prayer for the increase of our yard!!! Will would appreciate it too!

And Gramma Came to Visit...

Will's grandma Susie came to visit us at the end of August for Labor Day weekend, and what a treat it was! She also got to see her little grandson preach for her first viewing!

She was lovin that!

We had a shishkabob bbq!

Enjoyed lots of good gma stories and laughs!
Will even gave her a swing dancin' lesson!
Grandma raised the roof with her praises!
We went pinecone hunting for gma's next creation, a fall wreath!We had a picnic by the river, while on our pinecone hunt...

We love our grandma!

Survivor '07!

Here's what I brought. We also had a coffee can to boil our water in.

Above...Cliff Lake where we made camp.
My first fire made from flint and steel...while Paul and Jonathon built a sturdy shelter for the evening. The fire had two problems...1. It was built too far from the shelter to give us warmth and 2. We did not build a tall enough reflector around the fire to give us the heat we needed to stay warm for the night...we only slept 3 and a half hours on night 1.

On the way to the campsite we ran across a turtle...I said we should stop and take it with us...it thought differently and tried to convince us, by peeing all over itself and the ground.

Here is the turtle trying to make a break for it..."It's like watching a mosquito sucking on a mummy...forget it little friend."
Paul drove.
Here is the frame work of our shelter...just the studs and trusses...no insulation or sheetrock. Closer to the finished product, Jonathon and Paul relax on a surprisingly soft and comfortable bed...not photographed-we used moss for pillows.

Here are our make-shift fishing poles. We couldn't find grubs to catch any fish, but around 10am we found our first grasshopper...I proceeded to catch a few more...by lunch we had an 8 inch rainbow trout (or some other fish with multiple colors). I caught another fish later that day...Paul, my fishing teacher, failed to catch a fish, but I think he was proud that the mentee caught one. ("the student becomes the teacher"-said with a bad asian accent)

Here is my bite of the fish I caught.

This was not the turtle's finest moment.

He had already been boiled alive and then he met cold steel.

Rash from my bee sting (Bee not photographed-He did not sign a waiver to have his photograph shown on the internet...we don't want to be sued)

Also not shown...the eight times I puked on night #2...the 2 and a half miles we hiked in the dark to get out of there...the prayers we prayed hoping not to lose the trail or the tears we cried when we lost the trail.

At approximately 6:00 pm, I began throwing up the "nothing" that I had eaten. By nine o'clock, I was on my third puke fest...We needed to leave. But we had no flashlight...and no moon. It was dark...We felt our way down the 2 and a half miles to the car. We grew quite accustomed to the feel of the trail. By the last mile and a half we were walking at almost normal spead. (The trail is hard and dips toward the middle...it makes sense, but you typically don't notice when you have the use of your eyes.) To be honest, it was the highlight of the trip...with the slight exception of puking four more times down the trail and a final time in the car. Paul did not throw up until we were in the car...great timing!!! Actually, he opened the door and didn't get any inside the car. All in all...it was a great trip and we all had wonderful stories to tell.

A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs His Steps...

So, as I rode on the rear-end of the tandem bike a couple of weeks ago in Eagle Crest, Oregon, I had this spoken little moment with the Lord. He showed me Will's backside, shown below...and spoke to me about my need to, just as I had to keep my eyes on Will's front pedals or I'd totally veer us off into the ditch (happened many times, ask Will!), I had to keep just as in-stride with and my eyes on His steps. I don't need to see the full road ahead, as all I could really see with Will in front of me on the bike was his backside, and strange as it was to stare at it for so long, it was a real comfort, to "blindly" trust his guidance, to keep us on the correct path, and I even felt relieved and at peace to trust him with the crashes too, as I knew he'd get us right back up again. And P.S. I tried out the driver's seat for a few short strides and after 3 crash-downs, we decided to put me in the back again, I had no idea how to control that thing. Sound familiar?

So here's to the reminder to follow in our great Leader's strides, never looking to the right or left, questioning His ability to guide best! Enjoy the ride and the view as it passes by with me, take deep breaths, resting and trusting in each of His planted steps/strides, as you keep in line with His pre-ordained path. Release control and follow your best Guide.
A few verses I love to ponder on this "steps" matter...
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. (1 Peter 2:21)
Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from Your way. (Psalm 44:18)
Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway. (Psalm 85:13)
My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. (Job 23:11) Thou hast enlargened my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. (Psalm 18:36) The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in His way. (Psalm 37:23)

more pics to display the previous post notes!

Time with the Coulombe family!! We just love these guys, all 5 of them!! They're our get outta dodge and head north family!! It was also their church that we visited for kid's ministry ideas, it's a winner!

Our visit with the Petersens, we even got a WELCOME sign...Time with the Irwin Crew, gramma Susie above, W & K on a tandem bike, lil sis licking mom-in-law's face and the lil sis and her new beau at the bottom (not pictured, papa Irwin)...

Oh where oh where have the Irwin's been???

Well, we've been traveling around the state over the last week (pretty much covering it from the north end to the east end, back to the south end.) We started at the Leadership Summit conference in Portland (telecasted from it's Chicago homesite) and then stopped in for a couple of visits at family & friends up there (Thys and Kate and the Coulombe clan), did an observation at Grace Chapel in Wilsonville of their children's ministry programs on Sunday, then headed East to Eagle Crest to stay with Will's fam at their timeshare at the resort, had some great chatting times and tandem bike rides for a couple of days there, and then headed back west to the 'burg with a stop on the drive home at Crater Lake (holy toledo, what a grand beauty that place is!) On the drive home, we even had a little froggy stop in for a hop-a-long in the car. I got a little freaked out when it unashamedly (and unexpectedly) landed on my leg and about lost my brain as I squealed and tried to hop in the backseat (mind you, this is all on the windy rode home along the Umpqua River from Crater Lake). Will quickly pulled over (not by choice, but by threats from his crazed wife) and gave our little froggy a new home out by the river, rather than on my leg or hopping around making a new nest and family to come, in my car!

Stay tuned for more pics of the rest of the week, when I return home

(I'm hiding out in Will's office while he's in a staff meeting)...Dinner at the Cheesecake factory, after one of our Leadership Summit sessions!

Yummo, gotta love the cheesecakes!!

The bulk of the gang we went up there with L-R...Larry Whitaker, SFC Church Administrator; Suzy Halstead, SFC Church Secretary Extraordinare; Jim Halstead (behind Suzy) Head SFC Elder; Paul Glazner, SFC Teaching & Assimilation Pastor; Lynda Whitaker (left front), Larry's wife; Jan Glazner (right front) Paul's wife!! Not pictured...Ed & Robynne Wilgus (he's SFC's Lead Pastor) and the Irwin's. We had some awesome team bonding and development times!

Thanks for the gift of allowing us to attend SFC!

The Irwin Entry...

Here tis, Le Entre of the Irwin home! Just a few shots of the outside of the house. Figured it was time to continue on with phase 2 of the tour of our new abode. Please click on the album below and peruse the pictures & captions for the next leg of your guided tour. More to come on Irwin Tour Take 3...

Home Entry Pics

Pics Pics and More Pics, take 1!

A quick little photo op to whet the appetites for the next one (as I'm going too crazy this week with helping Will out with VBS to sit down long enough to take pics of the whole house and give you the grand tour.) So this will be take #1 of the full grand tour of the new Irwin home...

THE LIVING ROOM...

It all started with a little inspiration and A LOT of friends. After the keys were handed over, I rounded up my best paintin' crew & we got our hands all over those pasty white walls--thank you all of my dear friends for all of your long hours and hard taping prep and painting work. We couldn't have done any of this without your support. And thank you mama for your endless days spent waxing on and waxing off the paint on my walls, literally!...

The living room's inspiration pillows (fabric by Kia, sewing by Nancy-thank you for making the room ladies!)...

The worker bees, where's my mama June? and how does she always conveniently sneak out of the camera's eye?...

Eeewww, that is way to mint chocolate chip green. And the brown in the back is way too dirty diaper goldy brown. Hurry Wendy, lets run to the hardware store while the workers are plentiful...

That just needs a little cover-up, I think the white will work as a great foundation, again...

That's totally what I had envisioned...

The finished product...More to come on take #2...

okay, so...

We know what slackers we have been on the Irwin blogger scene, but I'm actually in Montana visiting my mom's fam and I finally have a few moments to tend to the matter. Will has actually emailed me a few lovely pics of the home to show my fam, but I'm not feeling highly capable of doing the copy-paste job from my email on my aunt's computer to the blogger site. Sorry! But we will have the new and improved house pics on here as soon as I return home to Bunting Court! Just wanted to update you all, those of you who care enough to follow this crazy blog at least, to let you know that we are alive and well and LOVING making our new home (I believe it's everything God made me to be, a homemaker that is) way more than the building of it. I feel like I'm nesting w/o even having a child to nest for! Will's right in his little element out in the yard and I'm right in mine, creating the inner beauty of it all. We will let you see some glimpses early next week! Until then...pray for safe travels for me, heading back westward tomorrow and for Will's ability to live without me! Hahaha!